Miles Davis Lost Septet live album to get first release

Miles Davis is to have his 1971 live album The Lost Septet released through Sleepy Night Records on CD and digital for the very first time. The album forms the second part of a trilogy of releases that began with the label's Number One jazz album Miles Davis: The Lost Quintet released last year.

The Lost Septet were Davis with Gary Bartz - soprano & alto sax, Keith Jarrett - electric piano, organ, Michael Henderson - electric bass, Ndugu Leon Chancler – drums, Charles Don Alias – percussion and James Mtume Foreman – percussion. Although they never recorded, they did tour Europe in October/November 1971. This double album captures one of the best performances on that tour, only previously broadcast on radio, at the Wiener Konzerthaus, in Vienna on 5th November.

The Septet formed in the middle of Davis' more rock orientated era. 1971's Jack Johnson album was the album he'd recorded prior to their formation and the band played a selection of material from In A Silent Way, Bitches Brew also Jack Johnson and also Live Evil on the tour.

“We were as intense as any rock band and just as loud,” remembers saxophonist Gary Bartz.

Miles Davis: The Lost Septet
Disc 1
1. Directions
2. Honky Tonk
3. What I Say
4. Sanctuary

Disc 2
1. It’s About That Time
2. Yesternow
3. Funky Tonk
4. Sanctuary (reprise)

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.